Chapter 272 A Real Man Never Looks Back at an Explosion (x)
272.
After leaving the Nangong family's old residence, Madam Su led her people straight to Bingjia Chongtai.
At this time, Zhongli Ci had already entered the palace to meet the emperor, Zhongli Wei remained in the general's mansion, and Su Feng returned to the prince's mansion. Only the left deputy general remained at the military headquarters, and the military headquarters was not entirely composed of people from the Zhongli family.
Although Lady Su was kept outside the military stronghold, people knew her identity and dared not neglect her.
General Zhou, a military strategist, came out with a smile and told Madam Su, "The generals in charge are not here right now, and the Grand General who just returned has also gone to the palace to see His Majesty. If you have something to do, you might as well come back later."
Another lieutenant general from the Nangong family also came out.
General Qin smiled at Madam Su and said, "Madam, please tell us what's on your mind. If we can resolve it, we will."
Zhou Zhongjiang glanced at him sideways. He really wasn't afraid of trouble. If this guy could find his way here, could you and I possibly solve the problem?
Madam Su asked coldly, "Is the physician Chu Jin, who was arrested today, still in prison?"
"Are you talking about the female physician who was captured by the Second Prince?" General Qin said. "She is connected to the rebels and attempted to assassinate the young lady of the General's Mansion. She is indeed being held in Chongtai Third Prison, waiting for the General to come and interrogate her personally."
"Your claim that Chu Jin is connected to the rebels is pure slander." Madam Su coldly looked at the two of them. "She is my child, the Prince's daughter, and a member of the Nangong Prince's Mansion. How could she possibly be connected to the rebels?"
Lieutenant General Qin and Lieutenant General Zhou were stunned, repeatedly pondering the meaning behind those words.
What does it mean to be a prince's daughter?
Doesn't the Nangong Prince's Mansion only have one princess?
“This…” General Zhou was puzzled. “Madam, we didn’t capture the princess. She’s still far away in Taiyi right now, and she won’t be able to come back in time, will she?”
General Qin thought to himself, "Yes, yes, yes," but then he saw Madam Su staring at the two of them and saying, word by word, "I said Chu Jin is my child, the princess's elder sister, and the prince's biological daughter."
"Ah, ah?" Zhou Zhongjiang was completely stunned.
There were quite a few people at the main gate of the military stronghold, and many of them came to inquire about the news. Madam Su did not hide anything; she deliberately told them what was going on.
Those who were stunned with the two lieutenant generals quickly reacted and immediately spread the news.
This is incredible!
The young healer who was arrested was actually a child from the Nangong Prince's Mansion!
She was personally captured and brought back by the second son of the Prince's mansion!
The second son of the Prince of Nangong's mansion has captured his own sister!
Today, one shocking piece of news after another has emerged.
Madam Su spread the news to deter the military leaders from taking any rash actions against Chu Jin. For example, when they were to use torture to interrogate him in private, they would have to consider whether they were really going to offend the people of the Nangong Prince's Mansion.
"This...this..." Lieutenant General Zhou scratched his head. "Congratulations, Madam, on finding your beloved daughter?"
Upon hearing this, General Qin, who had been stunned, immediately came to his senses and clasped his hands in congratulations, saying, "Congratulations, Madam, on finding your beloved daughter!"
Madam Su: "..."
While offering his congratulations, Zhou Zhongjiang turned a blind eye and said, "But Madam, the General specifically instructed before entering the palace that all the prisoners involved in today's assassination must wait for his return to interrogate them personally."
Madam Su said indifferently, "I already said, you suspect that the Nangong family has connections with the rebels, don't you?"
“We can’t say for sure about this matter; we have to see what the General says.” General Zhou chuckled. “Besides, the current evidence is indeed unfavorable to Miss Chu. Miss Zhongli fell off a cliff at Shuiyang Mountain, so how did her Wind-Listening Ruler end up in Miss Chu’s hands? And the captured rebels from Canhai Prefecture also revealed Miss Chu’s name, which is why the Azure Dragon Army went to the clinic to arrest people.”
Before Madam Su could get angry, Lieutenant General Zhou added, "However, it all depends on whether the General and the Censorate can find any other evidence. If Miss Chu is truly innocent, the General will definitely release her immediately. Madam, please remain calm."
Madam Su originally wanted to visit Chu Jin in the Chongtai Third Prison, but was stopped by General Zhou. As the saying goes, one doesn't hit a smiling face. It's hard to say whether General Zhou is good at leading troops into battle, but his ability to survive in the officialdom is beyond doubt. Otherwise, the Left Deputy General wouldn't have sent him out to block people.
The news that Chu Jin was the child of Lady Su of the Nangong Prince's Mansion quickly spread throughout the four streets of the capital and even reached the palace.
All the civil and military officials were waiting in the main hall. No one dared to leave until Emperor Qingyang announced the end of the day.
Zhongli Ci entered the main hall with his two deputy generals and the mastermind of the rebellion in Canhai Prefecture. He calmly bowed to the man on the high seat and said, "Your Majesty."
If Emperor Qingyang hadn't summoned him, he would have already gone to interrogate the person.
Emperor Qingyang looked down at the man below. The ministers stood on the left and right. Zhongli Ci stood in the center of the hall, only slightly lowering his eyes and not looking directly at the emperor. There was no awe on his face that Emperor Qingyang often saw on the faces of other ministers.
As Emperor Qingyang gazed at Zhongli Ci, he couldn't help but recall the scene of the late emperor's death.
The time when his arrogant father was critically ill on his bed was the weakest moment that Emperor Qingyang had ever seen this man.
The late emperor still gripped his hand tightly, his cloudy eyes wide, and in a hoarse voice, he still loudly questioned him: "Why are you inferior to Zhongli Xun's son?!"
The previous head of the Zhongli family, Zhongli Xun, was a mediocre military strategist, but he had a son with extraordinary talent who ruined the late emperor's plans, causing him to die with resentment.
Emperor Qingyang sat on the dragon throne, his expression dignified and his gaze sharp. From his high position, he could see the movements of everyone below.
At this moment, Emperor Qingyang stared intently at Zhongli Ci and asked slowly, "How is your daughter's injury?"
Zhong Li Ci lowered his eyes and spoke in a calm tone, revealing no emotion: "Thanks to the help of Captain Gu of the Golden Armor Army, the fall from the cliff was a close call, but his right hand was pierced by an arrow, which injured his tendons and bones. Because the treatment was delayed, he may suffer from a lingering illness and will not be able to lift heavy objects in the future."
The hall was silent; no one dared to speak.
Emperor Qingyang let out a heavy, cold snort to express his anger, and roared, "Outrageous! These rebels are so audacious as to injure people in the capital! They are utterly arrogant! Guards, cut off the feet of all the captured rebels, break their fingers, and then nail their hands to the city gate and hang them alive for seven days and seven nights!"
"Yes!" The commander of the golden-armored army loudly accepted the order and immediately went to carry it out.
Before long, a eunuch stepped forward and whispered in Emperor Qingyang's ear. Upon hearing this, Emperor Qingyang's brow twitched, and his gaze swept down at Zhongli Ci below. He then gently waved his hand, and the eunuch withdrew.
Soon, one of the golden-armored soldiers returned, knelt in the main hall, and said loudly, "Your Majesty, there is a physician named Chu Jin among the rebels in Canhai Prefecture. The lady of the Nangong family said in Chongtai that this physician is a young lady from the Nangong Prince's Mansion."
His Majesty said that all the rebels in Canhai Prefecture should have their feet cut off. So this doctor is also a member of the rebels. But the people from the Prince Nangong's Mansion say that she is a young lady of the manor. So whether to cut off her feet or not, we need to find out.
Upon hearing this, the other ministers waiting in the main hall looked in surprise at the golden-armored soldier who had delivered the message. Some of them subconsciously tried to look at where Nangong Ming was, only to find that General Zhongli had already returned. Why hadn't Prince Nangong, who had gone to Canhai Prefecture with them, arrived yet?
Zhong Li Ci, who had been standing calmly in the center of the hall, slowly turned around to look at the golden-armored soldier who had delivered the message, and asked in a low voice, "Is the identity of that female physician true?"
"This..." The golden-armored soldier who delivered the message lowered his head and said in a deep voice, "Madam Su of the Prince's Mansion admitted it herself, so I dare not speak recklessly."
Emperor Qingyang slammed his fist on the dragon throne again: "Absurd! How could a princess of the royal palace be a rebel from Canhai Prefecture!"
"The Censorate! What kind of incompetent bunch are you doing your jobs?"
Emperor Qingyang couldn't scold the military strategist Chongtai, so he could only angrily berate the people from the Censorate: "I demand that you thoroughly investigate what happened today, where have you even begun your investigation?"
The Imperial Censor, unperturbed, stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty, please calm down. The Prince of Nangong’s family has three sons and one daughter. The princess of the Prince’s family went to Taiyi to study this year and has not been heard to have returned to the capital.”
"This Doctor Chu came to the capital before the New Year and has a clinic outside the Fourth Street. Because of his excellent medical skills, kind face and compassionate heart, he often treats ordinary people for free, so he is known as the Little Doctor Saint. The two are not the same person."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Qingyang narrowed his eyes, suppressing some of his anger: "If it's not a princess from the Prince's Mansion, then where did the Prince's Mansion get a second young lady?"
The Right Chancellor stepped forward with his head bowed and said, “Your Majesty, I have heard Prince Nangong say that when he went to the top of Mount Luo to bring back the princess from his mansion, his eldest daughter died because of the pursuit of the Rakshasa sorcerer. Perhaps the child that Prince Nangong’s mansion is talking about today is the one who was mistakenly believed to have died on the top of Mount Luo in her early years.”
Emperor Qingyang tapped the dragon throne lightly with his finger: "Yes, I also remember that there was such a thing, and Your Highness was saddened by it for a while."
Upon hearing this, Zhong Li Ci understood that Nangong Ming had long ago prepared a backup plan to clean up the mess for his daughter.
Emperor Qingyang clearly meant that he did not want to make things difficult for Chu Jin.
The Censorate oversees all officials and is in charge of inspections in the capital. This was something that the military authorities could have handled themselves, but His Majesty assigned the Censorate to assist in the investigation, thus giving them the opportunity to overturn the evidence.
Zhongli Ci slightly raised his eyes and looked at the person on the dragon throne: "Your Majesty, I have just returned to the capital and entered the palace. I don't know how the investigation into today's assassination is going. I heard that the physician was captured by General Su. Why don't we ask General Su to tell us about it?"
Go and invite Su Feng, and ask him how he captured your sister?
The Imperial Censor sighed inwardly, realizing that Zhongli Ci was truly trying to embarrass Nangong Ming.
Emperor Qingyang waved his hand, agreeing.
Su Feng had just arrived at the gate of his old family home and hadn't even gone inside when he was summoned to the palace.
He had heard all along the way that Madam Su had exposed Chu Jin's identity at the Military Academy, and that the court was currently debating the matter. Zhongli Ci said that since he was the one who arrested Chu Jin, then he should explain why he had arrested him.
General Tian of the Golden Armor Army had a good relationship with Su Feng. Before Su Feng entered the main hall, he reached out and patted him on the shoulder: "It's hard to say what will happen. Be careful."
Su Feng smiled but didn't say anything. As he walked inside, he composed himself and remained calm.
No matter what he says, he's wrong.
If he recants, it means he arrested her indiscriminately; if he confesses truthfully, and Chu Jin's identity as Nangong Ming's daughter is confirmed, then he is trying to harm his own sister.
Yu Sui gave him the message, but didn't send Su Feng in person because she originally intended for Chu Jin to be rescued.
Su Feng entered the main hall with a calm expression, knelt down to pay his respects, and then stood up.
Emperor Qingyang asked, "Do you know why I summoned you here?"
"I know," Su Feng said, bowing his head. "There is solid evidence regarding the matter of arresting Chu Jin."
Upon hearing this, everyone else in the hall wanted to ask, "Second Prince, don't you know that Chu Jin is your father's child? How can you answer so readily?"
Even the Crown Prince couldn't help but cast a sympathetic glance at Su Feng. "I think you're finished today, kid. Nangong Ming will give you a good scolding when he gets back."
Su Feng then introduced the information he obtained from the rebels in Canhai Prefecture, and mentioned that when he arrived at the clinic, he found Zhong Lique's Listening Wind Ruler there. According to the testimony of the people from the General's Mansion, Zhong Lique took the Listening Wind Ruler with her when she went to Shuiyang Mountain today.
Therefore, the presence of Zhongli Que's Wind-Listening Ruler at the medical clinic proves that the people at the clinic were definitely involved in the assassination attempt at Shuiyang Mountain, hence the arrest of Chu Jin.
Upon hearing this, the Imperial Censor said, "Your Majesty, according to General Su, arresting Chu Jin is indeed the right thing to do."
He had barely finished speaking when an inspector from the Censorate entered, knelt down, and said, "Your Majesty, of the two people arrested at the medical clinic, one has confessed. This is his testimony."
Emperor Qingyang raised his eyelids and said, "You arrested two people from the clinic?"
Su Feng replied, "There were indeed two people in the clinic at the time."
The Imperial Censor took the scroll handed to him by the Inspector, opened it, read it, and then handed it to Zhongli Ci.
After reading it, Zhongli Ci remained expressionless, then handed it to the eunuch. Emperor Qingyang glanced at the eunuch and said, "Summon him."
The eunuch opened the scroll and quickly read it. He stepped forward and said to Emperor Qingyang, "Your Majesty, this man is named Chi Yan. He is the mastermind behind the assassination of the General's daughter. He said that he cooperated with the rebels in Canhai Prefecture to steal Miss Zhongli's Listening Wind Ruler in order to learn about the secrets of the General's family. He was injured during the assassination attempt, so after returning to the capital, he went to a clinic to buy medicine to treat himself, but was caught up by the Azure Dragon Army."
Besides Chi Yan's testimony, the Censorate also presented a lot of evidence that could protect Chu Jin.
Chi Yan took all the blame, completely absolving Chu Jin of any responsibility, and even made everyone feel that Chu Jin had suffered an undeserved misfortune, which was truly unfair.
While he was staying at the clinic, an injured man came to buy medicine. Before long, the Qinglong Army arrived and arrested him without any explanation.
The Imperial Censor looked down at Su Feng and sighed, "General Su, it seems you were too hasty and overlooked some details. Fortunately, we didn't miss the real culprit. Now we just need to release the wrongly arrested person and everything will be fine."
Su Feng remained expressionless, head bowed, and said nothing.
Just then, a clear bird song came from outside, and a dark-colored spirit bird flew in from outside the hall. The golden-armored soldiers and imperial guards outside the hall could not stop it. The people inside the hall were all startled when they saw the dark-colored spirit bird.
This is Nangong Ming's courtesy name, Lingniao.
The spirit bird flew straight past Zhongli Ci and landed beside Qingyang Huang's hand.
Upon seeing this, Emperor Qingyang finally showed his first smile of the day: "Your Highness and the General went to Canhai Prefecture together. Now that the General has returned in triumph, it's time for him to come back as well."
After speaking, he spread his five fingers and crushed the Word Spirit Bird. From the information the Word Spirit Bird conveyed, Emperor Qingyang looked at Zhongli Ci, his face losing its usual kindness: "He has admitted that Chu Jin, who is now wrongfully imprisoned in Chongtai Third Prison, is the child who was lost back then. Since it is a misunderstanding, General, let Chongtai Third Prison release him and let his family reunite."
If Zhongli Ci were to speak today, this matter could be resolved. The ministers who have been standing in the palace for almost a day could also leave.
Everyone was waiting for Zhong Lici to react.
Zhongli Ci raised his eyes and met Qingyang Emperor's gaze for a moment, then lowered his head and said, "Yes."
General's Mansion.
Lady Sun stayed by Zhongli Que's bedside, her heart filled with anxiety. Every now and then, she would reach out and touch Zhongli Que's forehead to check her temperature, and at other times she would turn around and look outside, wondering how Zhongli Ci was doing outside.
As she looked out the window again, the girl lying on the bed trembled slightly, slowly opened her eyes, and whispered, "Mother?"
"Que'er!" Madam Sun turned around immediately upon hearing the call, her eyes instantly filling with tears. "Are you feeling unwell anywhere?"
Zhong Lique stared blankly, then said softly, "The golden bell is about to ring."
Madam Sun: "What?"
Zhong Lique closed her eyes again.
Just as Madam Sun was anxiously calling her name, she suddenly heard the sound of a golden bell outside, cool and clear.
After the sound, a storm is coming.
Madam Su, who was stubbornly waiting in front of the main gate of the military stronghold, suddenly felt a chill. Her heart stirred slightly, and she subconsciously turned around and saw a familiar carriage that had stopped on the other side of the street.
A gust of wind swept by, lifting her clothes and hair, and swirling up fallen leaves on the ground, but it couldn't stir the hem of the man's clothes standing under the eaves on the opposite bank.
Cao Yan and his men waited behind Nangong Ming, while only the man in brocade stood at the front. The man's eyes had lost their usual three-point smile, and he calmly and coldly stared at Madam Su below the high wall. When Madam Su turned around and saw him, he slightly curved the corners of his lips and silently said, "Come here."
Madam Su was startled, and her hands clenched unconsciously under her sleeves, a hint of fear creeping into her heart.
But she had no choice but to go.
Madam Su steadied herself, pursed her lips, and walked towards Nangong Ming under the eaves.
Her attendants followed one after another, and upon arrival, they respectfully bowed their heads and said, "Your Highness."
"Go down," Nangong Ming said gently.
The maids and stewards retreated to the back, leaving only Madam Su to face Nangong Ming directly.
The sky was dark and gloomy, and the strong wind quickly made Madam Su's face feel cold.
Nangong Ming gently lifted Madam Su's icy hand and played with it: "Why are you so impatient, hmm?"
Madam Su gritted her teeth and said, "Do you want me to watch her die on the battlefield?"
"If you were so worried, why didn't you stop her before she acted rashly?" Nangong Ming stared at her with a half-smile. "Did you really think she could get away unscathed after harming Zhong Li Ci's child?"
Madam Su looked up at him: "Your Highness, would you let anything happen to your child? She has been raised by you all these years. You promised me that as long as I stayed, you would ensure her safety!"
“I have done what you asked for,” Nangong Ming said. “She has never suffered like this in all these years. Susu, you can’t just give you what you want. You also need to ask Kui’er what she wants.”
His words reminded Madam Su of what Chu Jin had said before, and her face turned pale.
Seeing the change in her expression, Nangong Ming's smile deepened, but his eyes held little mirth: "Children have their own ambitions and their own things to do. You care too much about Kui'er, which sometimes puts you and Kui'er in danger. Once is enough for this, don't you think?"
At this moment, apart from Madam Su, no one could feel the overwhelming pressure emanating from Nangong Ming, as if a hand was gripping your heart, about to crush it, causing her to slow her breathing and for a moment, her mind to give up resistance and thought.
Madam Su spoke with great difficulty: "...Yes."
As soon as she finished speaking, the sky darkened completely, the streetlights lit up one after another, and the sound of a door opening came from behind. The gate of the military stronghold under the high wall opened, revealing a woman in a white dress with blood-stained clothes and a disheveled expression.
Lieutenant General Zhou and Lieutenant General Qin fawned over Chu Jin, but Chu Jin only felt disgusted and embarrassed. At that moment, she just wished that no one would look at her!
"Oh my, isn't that the Prince?" General Zhou slapped his forehead, bowed to Nangong Ming from a distance, and then smiled at Chu Jin, saying, "Miss Chu, the Prince and his wife have come to pick you up!"
Chu Jin felt a tremor in her heart, a sense of fear rising within her, and dared not look up at the two people across the street.
Seeing her disheveled appearance, Madam Su felt a pang of sorrow. Although she knew that she had not been tortured inside, she was still saddened to see the scars left on her body by the sword spirit during her capture.
Nangong Ming glanced at Chu Jin who had just come out, then looked up at Zhongli Ci, who was standing on the high wall.
Standing beside Zhongli Ci were Zhongli Wei and Deputy General Zuo, among others. Their thoughts were easy to guess: they were unwilling to let him go.
Only Zhongli Ci's expression remained unreadable, revealing neither joy nor anger.
"Go and fetch Miss here," Nangong Ming said calmly.
The steward, who was waiting nearby, received the order and led a maid to fetch Chu Jin.
After Nangong Ming finished speaking, his brows furrowed slightly, and his gaze fell on the sword at Zhongli Ci's waist.
Cao Yan answered the telepathic call from the Wind Listening Ruler, paused, and stepped forward to say to Nangong Ming, "Your Highness, it's the Great General."
Nangong Ming reached out and took the Listening Wind Ruler, then heard Zhongli Ci's voice: "Is she really your child?"
"Yes," Nangong Ming said calmly. "Thank you, General, for teaching her a lesson."
Zhong Li Ci's gaze shifted downwards and landed on Chu Jin.
Having received the answer, Zhongli Ci placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, making no move to draw it, yet a wave of energy emanated from his body. People only heard the roar of a ferocious beast, and the invisible, water-like Tai'a sword energy had already reached Chu Jin, knocking away the maidservant beside her.
Madam Su's pupils contracted, and she was about to step forward, but Nangong Ming stopped her with a hand.
Before Chu Jin could even turn around, his right hand was severed by the Tai'a sword energy that had suddenly surged forth from afar.
She staggered, her eyes reflecting her right arm lying on the ground. Shock outweighed the pain, and she didn't react immediately.
Zhongli Ci met Nangong Ming's gaze and said calmly, "You're welcome."
He then tossed the Wind-Listening Ruler to Zhongli Wei and turned to leave.
General Qin and General Zhou, standing beneath the high wall, were stunned. Realizing that Nangong Ming was right across from them, the two quickly covered their eyes and turned around, frantically chanting in their hearts, "I didn't see anything! I didn't see anything!"
"Kui'er!" Madam Su could no longer hold back and broke free from Nangong Ming to rush to Qingkui's side.
Nangong Ming remained indifferent, his slender fingers gently stroking the cool surface of the ruler. After a moment, he gave the order again: "Take Miss and Madam back."
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